Just One Night
by the-autumn-sunset
Summary: She has long brown hair that falls in waves and luscious grey eyes that catch on the light as she glances around the room, and Sirius Black doesn't know how he has never noticed her before. Marlene Mckinnon. A name has never tasted sweeter in his mouth.


**I should be writing for my multi-chapter right now, but suddenly this idea popped into my head and I started writing like a maniac. I've always wanted to try a hand at Marlene and Sirius, and I can't say that I was disappointed. I literally had the most brilliant time writing this. Hope you all enjoy!**

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><p>She has long brown hair that falls in waves and luscious grey eyes that catch on the light as she glances around the room, and Sirius Black doesn't know how he has never noticed her before.<p>

Marlene Mckinnon. A name has never tasted sweeter in his mouth.

He wastes no time bustling over to where she sits, watching the bride and groom dance with a serene smile on her face. She was one of Lily's good friends in Hogwarts, Sirius remembers. Could half a year have really changed her so much, or is it just that he hadn't noticed her during their school years? If it is the latter, he cannot imagine how he never did. She is at least twice as beautiful as any girl.

He swoops into the seat beside her, giving her a saucy wink as he says, "Hello, beautiful." He flashes a dazzling smile.

She takes her eyes off of Lily and James just long enough to watch him with just the faintest hint of curiosity. "Hello, Sirius Black," she says calmly.

He nods with pleasure, delighted that she knows his name. It saves time when he does not have to introduce himself, though it gives less chance for him to show off his wit. "Would you care to dance?" he asks enthusiastically, gesturing to the dance floor.

She looks away, her hair gently falling across her shoulder. Sirius resists the urge to reach out and tuck the silky strands behind her ear. "No," she says at last.

Sirius's smile becomes even more brilliant. Girls who resist him at first sight usually end up being much more fun than girls who don't. "Ah, but I assure you, I am a most excellent dancer. I've built up quite the reputation with my dancing."

He has, of course, though it isn't only his dancing that plays into his esteemed reputation at dances and parties.

"Sorry," Marlene Mckinnon says, her sweet face all pulled into a frown, "but I've heard a lot of things about dancing with Sirius Black - about your 'reputation', as you so called it - and I think I'll stick around here. Alone," she adds pointedly.

"It's quite alright," says Sirius, grinning cheekily. "I'm not in much of a dancing mood anyway. I'll stay here with you."

Marlene looks as though she is going to argue, but she clamps her mouth shut in an imitation nearly indistinguishable from Lily's. "Okay," she says stiffly, but she scoots her chair further from his.

Sirius is used to girls being wary around him. It's what makes it so pleasurable, half the time. He leans back in his seat, taking in her beauty as she stares very determinedly at what must be a riveting piece of fuzz on her dress.

He waits for her to break.

She doesn't.

"How are you liking the wedding?" he finally asks, unable to keep silent any longer.

Her facade dents at that. "It's great," she says. A smile lights up her face, making her twice as dazzling as before, and now thrice as beautiful compared to any other girl Sirius has seen. "I'm so happy for Lily and James."

"Never imagined Lil would someday marry James… Almost too impossible to think of," says Sirius, shaking his head.

"James certainly did," says Marlene.

Sirius smirks. "He's been telling us that since he and Lily got together."

"I can imagine," she replies, then seems to realize she's speaking to him. She clears her throat and looks down at her dress again, in a different place than before, he notices. Perhaps there's an intriguing piece of fuzz there, too.

But Sirius is unwilling to wait again, and he says goodnaturedly, "I've never been one-upped by a dress before, but I guess there's a first time for everything."

Marlene turns to him, her grey eyes meeting his. Her reply is so immediate and cool, Sirius is convinced he's found his match. "I've never questioned why someone would be speaking to me, but I guess there's a first time for everything."

He opens his mouth to speak, but something about her tone tells him he should not be completely spontaneous. "What do you mean?" he asks carefully.

She shrugs. "Rumors spread. I suppose you might say that I'm wondering if you're actually talking to me for me, or just because you want me to get in bed with you."

Sirius's mouth drops, because no girl has ever been this abrupt with him, and if they have, they have most certainly not been sweet and charming-looking like Marlene McKinnon. But as soon as his surprise dissipates, he chuckles, never more certain that he's there for the first option.

"You don't have to worry about that," he says.

"That's what they all say," she says wryly, but Sirius knows she's suppressing a smile.

"So dance with me, and I'll prove it," he says, standing up and holding out his hand. "Just one dance."

She stares at his hand in a similar manner as she had the fuzz on her dress and doesn't say a word.

"Come on," Sirius says charmingly. "I won't do anything. And I'm not drunk, if that's what you're worried about."

She is unable to keep back the smile this time, and angels are singing her name in his head like a mantra: _Marlene Mckinnon, Marlene Mckinnon, Marlene Marlene MarleneMarleneMarlene -_

And then the most remarkable thing happens. Marlene stands up and carefully pats down her dress and looks at him in the eye. (She has the most beautiful grey eyes that swirl with warmth and humor and they're looking straight at him and he can't think.) "Just one dance?" she asks warily.

Sirius shrugs, struggling to keep himself from bouncing around the walls with triumph. "One dance with the pretty lady is better than none, right?"

And all of a sudden, she's laughing, and Sirius swears the whole wide world has stopped to watch her eyes sparkle and mouth open, to hear the melodious tune of her laugh, to cherish the beauty in front of him, because Marlene Mckinnon is something else, something so wonderful he cannot fathom anything anywhere anything anymore -

"I can't imagine how many times you've used that line," she says through her smiling. "Probably charmed the hell out of a lot of girls."

"And I suppose it would be wishful thinking to hope I've charmed you as well?"

"I'm impressed. You learn quickly."

But it doesn't matter one bit that she's practically turned him down, because her tiny hand is in his and it's so warm and lovely and he's grinning as he whirls on the dance floor her in his arms - and she's smiling too and it's wonderful and absolutely _lovely_ and neither one of them wants to stop and so they don't, and they dance the night away, away, away, and "just one dance" turns into "just one night", and "just one night" would have turned into "just one week" to "just one month" to "just one year" to "just forever"...

Except the next day, the Mckinnons are found dead in their house, courtesy of Death Eaters, and what could have been simply stays

just one night.


End file.
